RELATIVE  TO 

MANHATTAN  WATER, 

•   on'  Tr\  9    11  \ 

IN  frS 

M  [  ■  i  S 

New- York,  April  3,  1824. 

Being  requested  to  express  my  opinion  of  the 
qualities  of  the  water  ordinarily  made  use  of  by  the 
citizens  of  New-York,  I  hereby  testify,  that  agreea- 
bly to  the  analysis  made  of  it  by  skillful  chemists, 
it  abounds  in  earthy  and  saline  materials,  highly 
injurious  to  the  constitution,  when  so  constantly  ta- 
ken into  it  by  our  daily  beverage,  and  in  connection 
with  our  food  prepared  with  it.  I  also  certify,  that 
the  water  of  New- York  is  frequently  productive  of 
diseases  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  especially 
with  strangers  upon  their  first  use  of  it.  Gravel, 
and  other  complaints  of  the  kidneys,  are  of  frequent 
occurrence  among  our  citizens,  and  I  believe  are 
oftentimes  attributable  to  the  water  as  their  source. 

From  my  long  experience  of  the  unwholesome 
qualities  of  the  New- York  water,  I  long  since,  when 
holding  the  office  of  resident  physician,  addressed 
to  the  corporation  of  the  city  a  discourse  relative 
to  the  improvement  called  for  in  our  medical  po- 
lice, and  urged  upon  them  the  necessity  of  intro- 
ducing an  abundant  supply  of  pure  and  wholesome 


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water,  as  imperiously  demanded  in  this  rapidly  in- 
creasing city.  Under  the  same  impressions,  I  have 
for  some  time  past  been  in  the  habit  of  using  in 
my  own  family,  water  brought  from  the  country, 
and  have,  as  a  duty  I  owed  to  the  families  for  whom 
I  prescribe,  urged  them  to  do  the  same.  Many,  by 
my  advice,  are  accordingly  in  the  practice  of  re- 
ceiving from  the  neighboring  country  their  daily 
supplies  of  water,  as  not  only  more  agreeable,  but 
as  essentially  necessary  to  health. 

DAVID  HOSACK,  M.  D 

I  cordially  concur  in  the  foregoing. 

WRIGHT  POST,  M.  D. 

1  also  concur  in  the  foregoing  views. 

Wm.  Js.  macneven,  m.  d. 


New- York,  April  3d,  1824. 
Application  having  been  made  to  us  to  express 
our  opinion  as  to  the  Manhattan  and  other  waters 
in  this  city,  we  declare  it  is  our  opinion  that  said 
water  is  in  most  instances  (if  not  all)  impure,  and 
not  conducive  to  the  health  nor  convenience  of  the 
people.  That  from  analysis  it  has  been  demon- 
strated to  be  unwholesome;  so  much  so,  that  it 
has  been  a  subject  of  general  complaint,  and 
rendered  needful  for  many  to  send  out  of  the  city 
for  a  supply  of  pure  water,  and  that  we  consider 
the  obtainment  of  pure  water  from  a  distance  from 
the  city,  as  a  desideratum  of  great  moment  to  the 
health,  convenience,  prosperity  and  reputation  of 
our  otherwise  highly  favored  city,  and  sincerely 


3 


hope  the  application  to  the  honorable  Legislature 
for  an  act  of  incorporation,  may  be  successful. 

J.  WOOD,  M.  D. 

JAMES  L.  PHELPS,  M.  D. 

GILBERT  SMITH,  M.  D. 

ZEB.  W.  SEAMAN,  M.  D. 

JOHN  C.  CHEESEMAN,  M.  D 


We  the  subscribers,  practising  physicians  in  the 
city  of  New-York,  do  hereby  certify  that  we  consi- 
der the  impurity  of  the  water  now  used  by  the  ci- 
tizens of  New- York,  and  supplied  by  the  works  of 
the  Manhattan  Company,  to  be  very  injurious  to 
the  health,  comfort,  and  convenience  of  those  who 
use  it ;  and  that  in  consequence  many  of  the  citi- 
zens keep  themselves  supplied  by  having  pure  wa- 
ter brought  to  them  from  a  distance;  and  that  we 
believe  the  furnishing  a  supply  of  pure  water  would 
tend  very  much  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
inhabitants  of  New-York,  and  all  who  visit  the 
city. 

JOHN  S.  CONGER, 
RICHARD  VETCHAULE, 
JACOM  OSTRAM, 
WM.  BALDWIN, 
ZEBULON  W.  SEAMAN, 
EDWARD  CONWAY. 


I  hereby  certify,  that  I  have  made  a  chemical  ex- 
amination of  the  water  of  a  great  number  of  the 
wells  of  this  city,  and  among  others  of  the  Manhat- 


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tan  water,  both  from  the  wells  from  which  it  is 
drawn  by  the  engines  of  the  company,  and  from 
the  pipes  in  private  apartments,  and  I  have  no  he- 
sitation in  saying,  that  the  water  in  almost  all  the 
populous  parts  of  the  city  is  extremely  hard,  and 
unfit  for  wholesome  drinking,  cooking,  and  for 
washing,  and  that  the  Manhattan  water  is  quite  as 
hard  and  impure  as  the  generality  of  the  city  wa- 
ter, being  charged  with  a  very  large  proportion  of 
salt  and  lime. 

JOHN  GRISCOM. 

New- York,  4  Mo.  1,  1824. 


City  and  County  of  New-  York,  ss. 

William  Underhill,  being  duly  affirmed,  declares 
and  says,  that  some  time  since  he  received  the 
water  from  the  Manhattan  Company,  but  owing  to 
its  great  impurity,  he  was  compelled  to  refrain  from 
the  use  of  it,  and  believes  if  he  had  have  continued 
its  use,  it  would  have  injured  his  health:  That 
the  general  opinion  of  the  citizens  is  unfavourable 
to  its  use,  aud  that  it  is  wholly  unfit  for  general 
use.    New-York,  4  Mo.  2d,  J  824. 

Wm.  UNDERHILL. 
Affirmed  this  2d  April  1824,  before  me, 
S.  COWDREY, 
Commissioner,  8,'c. 


Mr.  Samuel  Legget. 

At  your  request  to  give  my  opinion  in  writing, 
relative  to  the  Manhattan  water  now  supplied  the 


5 

citizens  of  New-York,  I  do  certify,  that  the  same 
is  considered  generally  by  those  who  use  it,  to  be 
of  a  very  indifferent  quality,  and  totally  unfit  for 
washing ;  and  from  its  impure  qualities,  is  not  re- 
garded as  a  wholesome  or  pleasant  drink,  and  that 
it  is  a  general  subject  of  just  complaint  and  dissat- 
isfaction to  the  inhabitants,  and  that  many  are  in 
the  habit  of  receiving  daily  supplies  of  pure  water 
from  a  distance  out  of  the  city. 

ELBERT  ANDERSON. 

April  3d,  1824. 


On  board  the  Steam  Boat  Chancellor  Livingston,  April 

3d,  1324. 
To  Samuel  Legget,  Esq. 
SIR, 

You  having  requested  me  to  state  in  writing, 
the  opinion  I  expressed  in  conversation  relative  to 
the  Manhattan  water  with  which  our  city  is  sup- 
plied, I  have  no  objection  to  say,  that  although  I 
take  the  water  and  pay  ten  dollars  annually  for  the 
supply  of  my  family,  I  find  it  so  disagreeable  and 
unpleasant,  that  I  obtain  daily  from  the  country 
all  that  is  used  for  drinking  and  making  tea,  at  an 
expense  of  about  ten  dollars  per  annum. 

Your  obedient  Servant, 

JAMES  HEARD. 


New- York,  April  2d,  1824. 
This  is  to  certify,  having  been  requested  to  state 
our  opinion  of  the  Manhattan  and  other  waters,  the 


6 

i 

undersigned  have  been  advised  by  their  physicians 
to  cease  the  use  of  these  waters,  and  have  for  some 
time  past  been  supplied  with  water  from  a  distance 
from  the  city,  in  consequence  of  the  most  respecta- 
ble proofs  of  the  impurity  of  the  water  of  the  city. 

WM.  SEAMAN, 
E.  E.  WEED, 
SAMUEL  LEGGET, 
ROBERT  BARTOW, 
CHARLES  G.  HAINES, 
HENRY  POST,  Jr. 
JOHN  FRANKLIN, 
GEORGE  C.  MORGAN. 
WM.  R.  COOKE, 
JOHN  LEGGET, 
S.  COWDREY, 
N.  PRIME. 


I  am  in  the  habit  of  taking  the  water  brought 
from  Greenwich,  and  am  convinced  that  the  wa- 
ters of  our  city  are  very  impure. 

JOHN  C.  CHEESEMAN,  M.  D. 

April  3, 1824. 


